The Iran-Iraq borders were facing hostility from each other since long. The rough memories are still being carried till today, and the environment is not peaceful between the, two. Iraq was founded after the dispersion of the great Ottoman Empire into certain estates. Since then Iraq is known as the corner of Ottoman Empire. Thus, the demarcation of borders gave them the label of independent states like Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. This division between the states was the decision of the winning partner of the WWI and the correspondence from the League of Nations. Due to the acceptance of the dominance, all these states became the members of the Western countries.
The oil resources of Iraq and Iran were untouched since then and were not used for any means; thus, they turned out to be attractive to the Western countries to plant their units there and to explore the oil resources for more international profitability. This curiosity led to war between the two nations which caused the millions of deaths and an enormous damage which in unable to be recovered to this day. The war was carried on for eight long years.
The aim of this essay is to analyze the conflict between the Iran and Iraq which led to the disastrous war through the study of conflict resolution. It has always been difficult for the scholars to discuss the repercussions and the reasons behind this war. However, as this war changed the structure of the area, it is necessary to study the factors which make this battle to be fought for eight long years (Donovan, Topple, Naidoo, & Milner, 2015).
Fig: Crude Oil Production
Causes of War
Historical Background of the 1980’s War
It has been analyzed that the conflicting situations between the two countries were observed to be happening since three centuries. The rivalry was developed by Safavids and Ottomans divisions; thus, the group made them each other’s former enemy. However, the conflict of the 17th century was due to the political and the religious issues. Once the concept of colonialism was established, then the fight for power and the oil resources began. Both the countries were blessed with the abundance of natural oil resources, and more the asset of oils was designated to a country the greater it has the strength in that region.
Due to this factor, the stronger economy was fighting over, the weaker one to control their oil reserves too and to become the most powerful of the region. Before the independent authority of Iran and Iraq was established, Britain was the superpower. When Britain left the area after the Persian Gulf War, there was void of power or the authority for ruling the countries. This void lets to the violence embraced upon the weakest countries by the strongest countries so that they can maintain their power and supremacy within the region.
Fig: British Rule before Gulf War
The borders issues were getting more intense, due to this a treaty was signed in Algiers that both the countries are independent and will not interfere in each other’s borders parameters. Even then the border issues were not solved and Iran and Iraq were going to the cold war. Thus, this added fuel to the fire when the Shah of Iran increased the level of conflicts with Iraq through promoting and supporting the Kurds fighting in the area. This allegedly created dangerous situation for Saddam, the Iraqi leader that the insurgencies in Iraq are the result of the Iran’s intermission for spoiling peace of Iraq.
Thus, it led or forced Saddam to take action against this movement while targeting the country of origin which has began this war. Iran was supporting the uprisings of the ‘Shia’ movements in Iraq which has disturbed the internal peace and disturbing the economy of the country. Thus, after deploying the efforts for regaining the control over the region, Iraq became famous for its efforts. The first ever attempt to confront Iran was by liberalizing the trade connections (Segal, 1988).
The war with the Shah means resentment from the Shia community from the inside of the country. Saddam was ready for this, and he planned this war on the Shia community to stop from them flourishing their wings in Iraq. The Islamic revolution in Iran led to the deployment of the theocratic region. Iraq was following the Secular regime; this was the reason that both the countries were unable to consider their stance and to respond accordingly, thus violating the Algiers treaty.
One of the leading causes of this war was the differences in the ideologies and the vision of the leaders which increased the differences between the two countries. The Shah of Iran was a conservative who wanted to implement his law within the state by proving their authority in the region. However, Saddam Husain was a nationally elected leader and was liked by the majority of the Iraqi population. When Saddam declared war upon Iran, the entire nation stood up with him and supported him in this cause despite knowing that if it was a war due to personal differences or the ideological differences in the countries. However, Saddam also had this virtue of proving his authority, due to this he had tried to overtake the government through several attempts, but he always failed to do so. It was this time, which he planned strategically, that this policy would not help, he planted his cousin Bakar in the government and slowly took over the authority of the entire government. However, when Saddam wanted to impose the Iran and Iraq war, his cousin was unable to give him definite answers that whether he shall force war on Iran or no.
After this, his cousin stepped back due to his health issues. Thus, Saddam became an all in all man of the powers; it was his disposal that how he wants to carry the country’s affairs. The authority made Saddam ruthless and brutal, and he uses to execute hundreds of people a day for conspiring against him. Like the Shah of Iran, Saddam interest was to maintain his control only. He was also working for the growth of his personal power.
The situation became worst when the former Shah was overthrown by Ayatollah Khomeini who was the greatest conservative and the national leader of Iran having the majority of Iran population. Thus, Khomeini was the known as the most precarious existence to Hussein’s rule.
Role of International Community
The conflict is a level defined internationally to be dealt through the international standards when the local parties are unable to resolve the matter through peace talks. Thus, it was analyzed that the western community was responsible for initiating the Iraq and Iran war. Every European country was only seeking of his personal interest and was trying to anticipate that how the war would be able to facilitate them and to increase their business profitability. During the initial stages when the war was not imposed, USA was supporting Iraq to play an aggressive role in the region and to prove their authority over Iraq through war. However, Russia being a super power was playing a neutral role and was emphasizing on the peace talks.
It doesn’t mean that the US government didn’t have the differences with Iraq; they were also not an ally of Iraq but had more differences with Iran. Therefore, despite forcing a direct war in Iran, it was better to side with the enemy because it was fulfilling the wishes of both the US country and that of Iraq. The US and Iran issues were based on the political authority within the region. The population of both the country’s use to consider each other a terrorist state and the leaders of the two nations were raising more hatred for each other which was observed in their executions of order.
Fig: Disputed Properties
Due to this Iraq was promoted to force war on Iran (“The Iran-Iraq War: a military and strategic history,” 2015), The US authority has significant disputed conflicts with the Reza Shah, that the scenarios were created to overthrow him from his government. The rule of Reza Shah was also the result of US support who pursued Reza Shah to take over the Shah’s domain in the Iran region. Thus, US authority has been observing to support violence by directly supplying weapons to Iraq and supporting Iraq’s opinions on different platforms regarding the wrongdoings of Iran’s leader.
Apparently, Iraq was supported by the western community, more importantly, US. Iraq during this time was considered as the first line of defense against Iran. If Iran was expected to conduct any insurgency, then it was Iraq who was supposed to protect the sovereignty of the Gulf region. Thus, Iraq at this time was given the role of savior from the West, and it was due to the efforts of the Iraq and US, that Iran was isolated from the western community.
Russia was a silent observant of the issue, though, he was not participating, but silently observing the entire situation. As Russia had no personal difference of opinion with Iran, therefore, he was supporting for peace talks between the two countries. Moreover, Russia was siding Iran and preventing it from being isolated from the western community. Given the Russian government, Iran has all the rights to practice their sovereignty, and no one shall be suppressed due to have multiple conflicts with any of the two states which come together against one state for the purpose of destruction and to establish their rules.
Ethical Conflicts
The conflicts could be observed in the physical form, but the ethical conflicts are the type of conflicts which are difficult to be seen and evaluated. Moreover, these conflicts are complicated to be explained and communicated because every country has their code of ethics and they prefer practicing their ethical values accordingly. One of the examples to show that how difficult it is to solve the ethical conflicts is the ex-Yugoslavian conflict which is still not resolved after so many years of dispute.
The ethical conflicts in the modern society are known to be the feudalization of the societal matters. There are more chances of occurrence of the intra-states conflicts when it is observed that the minorities are not given their rights rather they are deprived of their fundamental rights. However, the ethnicities do not get along with the same lines for a single border when an interstates conflict is observed. The common factor in both the states was the Kurds, but the Kurds were in the minority.
The strategy adopted to go on the war between the two states is due to the increasing interstate conflicts. The minorities may take help from international borders to come and support them on the local grounds, but this depends upon the complete discrete of the foreign authority that if they want to side any country on foreign land. Iran was supported by the Kurd ethics because of their shared interests. In response, the Leader of Iran was supporting the Kurd’s existence in Iraq.
Thus, the diversity of the ethnic values increased the differences between the two countries. Thus, due to this, the violence was enhanced between the two countries which were not for the nation as a whole but due to the ideological differences. However, when other reasons behind the conflicts are evaluated, the ethnic aspect was given little importance.
Territorial Conflict
As mentioned before the borders were demarcated after the shattering of the great Ottoman Empire into small states. Apart from the division, only the Kurds were the common factor which was existing in both the countries despite after the division. The borders were facing the tension; the war was about to be imposed due to the ideological differences, the minorities were trying to protect themselves from being overrun by the government, thus creating an intense situation.
Iran and Iraq both were claiming to be the super powers and were trying to establish their authority within the region. After the revolution of Iran, the Shia’s were given this sovereignty to practice their rights and to stay sovereign to implement their religious views. Despite the differences, Iran was trying to support in bringing the unity in the region and to establish the one rule which was subjected to the Iran sovereignty.
Religious Conflicts
Thus, Islam is the religion of peace and has always promoted peace for resolving any issues. The agenda and strategies of Iraq and Iran were not according to the Islamic values rather it depended on the discrete judgment of the ethnic groups known as Shia and Sunni in the region. These conflicts gave the base to the other conflicts, and the issues came out of the bounds of the two biggest sects of Islam to the court of foreign nations for deciding the fate of this region.
The Objectives of War
• On 22 September 1980, Iraq launched a preemptive strike against Iran. The war goals stated by the center of Iraq were:
§ Iraq has legitimate right to control the land and water inside and outside its region, in particular, the Shatt Al-Arab.
§ Iran shall follow the international principles of God neighbors and shall adhere to the laws.
§ Iraq wishes to be the dominant state in the Gulf region, and Iran shall accept this dominance. The acceptance shall be at national, political and economical level.
§ While Iran was weakened after the revolution and cut off from the US aids, Iraq was planning to destroy the Iranian military assets and army.
However, Iran said its concern towards Iraq through an international forum in 1980 and demanded:
• To end peaceful aggression and to move out of the bounds of the Iranian’s borders.
• To pay reparations and to accept the guilt.
• To implement the rule of Shiite Government in Iraq and completely remove the Baathist Government.
The Offences from Iraq
• The war began on 22 September 1980; the Iraqi’s force was able to push 50 miles within the Iranian boundaries.
• Iraq also stroked through air force, but this attack was rejected through Iran air force counter attack.
• Within the first week of the War, 30,000 soldiers moved inside the Iran boundaries, especially in the Khuzestan Province.
• Till this time the Iraqi army was able to succeed a strip 800 km long and 20-60 km in depth from North to South.
17 November 1980 – 26 September 1981
The war between Iran and Iraq slowed down because both the resources used for the war were exhausted. They needed to get refueled, for the reason that both of them didn’t have their military assets but were relying on a third country military resources, therefore, it took time for them to recoup the funds in a short period.
During this null time, Iran strengthened its resources and prepared its army to fight against Iraq. Iran used its volunteer guard to join the military and to strengthen its defenses against the international enforcement.
27 September 1981 – October 1983
Iran after gaining the strength began attacking the Southern sector of Iraq. During this offensive attack, Iran used humans in the form of suicide bombings which caused major havoc in Iraq. Iran apart from using the force directly adopted strategies which gave back a major hold to the Iraqi army. Thus, Iraq named their successful operations after the Islamic names like “Fateh Bit-Al-Makes,” “Fatma-Al-Zahraa,” and Operation “Jerusalem.”
Conclusion
The Iraq and Iran fought the war for eight long years resulting in loss of many lives and assets which are unrecoverable till this date. Even after this war has harmful effects but it was non- resulting because both the countries maintained their sovereign status and followed their religious and political interests. However, if there is no other way than to have war, it depends upon the intellect of people that how they carry the war and how they would end it. It shall be ensured that major public asset is to be secured because the war will end one day but the people suffering through it will experience the repercussions there entire life.
References
Donovan, J., Topple, C., Naidoo, V., & Milner, T. (2015). Strategic Interaction and the Iran-Iraq War: Lessons to Learn for Future Engagement?. Digest Of Middle East Studies, 24(2), 327-346. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/dome.12070
Segal, D. (1988). The Iran-Iraq War: A Military Analysis. Foreign Affairs, 66(5), 946. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/20043572
The Iran-Iraq War: a military and strategic history. (2015). Choice Reviews Online, 52(10), 52-5503-52-5503. http://dx.doi.org/10.5860/choice.189937
